Powerful as this image may be, it is not the story of Mary Magdalene.
Mary Magdalene is mentioned in each of the four gospels in the New Testament,
but not once does it mention that she was a prostitute or a sinner. At
some point Mary Magdalene became confused with two other women in the
Bible: Mary, the sister of Martha, and the unnamed sinner from Luke's
gospel (7:36-50) both of whom wash Jesus' feet with their hair. In the
6th Century, Pope Gregory the Great made this assumption official by
declaring in a sermon that these three characters were actually the same
person: Mary Magdalene, repentant saint. The Catholic Church
did later declare that Mary Magdalene was not the penitent sinner, but
this was not until 1969. After so long the reputation still lingers.

Indeed! Although Caravaggio's painting of the penitent Mary contradicts the information above, I chose it because I love his art.

Thanks for the poem! Mary Magdalene needs all the positive art she can get to counterbalance the "bad" reputation the church gave her over the years.

A few years ago I was surprised and pleaaed to discover a 1746 hymn text on Mary Magdalene by Charles Wesley that did not include all the usual "fallen woman" claptrap, but only focused on her role as Apostle to the apostles.

C.W.S., thanks. You chose the same painting. The lyrics of the hymn are lovely. One might think I'd plagiarized a bit, but I've never before seen the words. Of course, we both took off from the Gospel, but Wesley is a much better poet.

JCF, thank you. I post my poetic efforts in fear and trembling. Yesterday, after I posted on the feast day of MM, the poem started to form. I wrote some, left it overnight, and polished it up a bit this morning. And here it is, out in the ether, such as it is.

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PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING FOR A RECTOR FOR ST JOHN AND TRINITY

Father, we thank you for guiding and directing St John and Trinity in our search for a new rector and for bringing Fr Doug Lasiter and and his family and our church families together. We pray for Fr Doug, our new rector, colleague and friend, and the people of St John and Holy Trinity that we may love and care for each other as you would have us to do, through Jesus Christ your Son and our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

BLOGGERS' PRAYER

"Almighty God, you proclaim your truth in every age by many voices: Direct, in our time, we pray, those who speak where many listen and write what many read; that they may do their part in making the heart of this people wise, its mind sound, and its will righteous; to the honor of Jesus Christ our Lord."Book of Common Prayer

GOD'S PRESENCE

"O my God, since Thou art with me, and I must now, in obedience to Thy commands, apply my mind to these outward things, I beseech Thee to grant me the grace to continue in Thy presence; and to this end do Thou prosper me with Thy assistance, receive all my works, and possess all my affections."Brother Lawrence

LADY ENTHRONED

Luiz Coelho, Jr.

“Let those who have a voice, speak out for the voiceless.”Óscar Romero

"How can you initiate someone and then treat them like a half-assed baptized?"The Rt Rev Barbara Harris

"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant."Martin Luther King

"Silence is the voice of complicity."Fr. Roy Bourgeois

THE AFTERLIFE

“So, is there an afterlife, and if so, what will it be like? I don't have a clue. But I am confident that the one who has buoyed us up in life will also buoy us up through death. We die into God. What more that means, I do not know. But that is all I need to know.” Marcus Borg - Speaking Christian: Why Christian Words Have Lost Their Meaning and Power

"Sì. Mi chiamano Mimì."

June Butler - email

wb73gm at gmail dot com

On occasion, Wounded Bird, indulges in irony.

"I hope that I never ridicule what is wise or good. Follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies do divert me, I own, and I laugh at them whenever I can."Elizabeth Bennet, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen